Our Board of Directors
The Grace & Nelly Project Inc. is run by a volunteer Board of Directors. Board members come from a wide range of fields including law, business, and experience working in the non-profit sector. The Board is comprised of individuals who are connected to the African continent and have a deep-rooted commitment to improving the lives of women and girls in Zimbabwe and the African continent. All Board members believe that sustainable development starts at the grassroots level and incorporates the views and wishes of those that are served by the organization.
Current Board of Directors:
Ruvimbo Chimutsa, Founder & President
Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Ruvimbo moved to Canada at the age of 19 to continue her tertiary education and never left. Ruvimbo is a passionate advocate for women’s rights and in particular menstrual rights. In 2016, Ruvimbo founded The Grace & Nelly Project with the aim of creating opportunities for women and girls in rural communities to help them achieve their dreams.
She named the organization after her grandmothers who taught her the importance of giving back to her community, being fierce in the pursuit of your dreams and the freedom of financial independence.
Tendai Nzuma, Vice President
Tendai is a passionate and experienced entrepreneur. Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Tenaid moved to Canada in 2007. She has over 7 years experience in business development and policy, she is an invaluable member of The Grace & Nelly Project. She is one of the original Board members of The Grace & Nelly Project. Tendai actively advocates for Africans on the continent and those living in Canada. She CEO of Kunye, a company on a mission to secure the financial well-being of geographically dispersed families.
Princess Dimairho, Treasurer
Abigail Marumbwa -Kawadza, Director
Abigail is an energetic community leader, whose passion for connecting people and empowering young girls is evident in every area of her life. Born and raised in Zimbabwe, she settled in Winnipeg in 2004, where she now lives with her husband and three children. Having experienced firsthand the challenges faced by immigrant women in Canada, Abigail understands and values the mentorship, education and empowerment of young women and girls. With over 10 years of experience as a nurse, Abigail is passionate about leadership and currently works as a Unit Coordinator at The Saul and Claribel Simkin Centre in Winnipeg- a personal care home, where her passion for helping others is put to good use.
Aida Nakyazze, Director
Aida is an experienced humanitarian supply chain professional, with project management experience in logistics and supply chain operations supporting both emergency responses and developmental work. She has so far worked with 4 international non-governmental organizations in more than a dozen countries. Holding a B.A (Hons) Business Economics and Finance degree from University of Nottingham, and M.Sc. Global Logistics from Kuehne Logistics University, Aida’s experience and knowledge enables her to provide supply chain and logistics insight wherever necessary to The Grace and Nelly Project’s board.
Mandikudza Tembo, Director
Maureen Gathogo, Director
With a background in development work and entrepreneurship, Maureen is committed to empowering women through financial inclusion and gender equality.
Oluchukwu Chiazor, Director
Wairimu Njeri, Director
Operations
Doris Nyasha Kumbawa, Operations Manager (Zimbabwe)
Doris is a development practitioner and strategic communications specialist, entrepreneur and writer with work experience in Botswana, Dubai and Zimbabwe. She is passionate about women empowerment and has worked with various business membership organizations in Zimbabwe in advocating for rights and recognition, access to business linkages, formalization, social protection, access to markets and decent work spaces as well as financial inclusion for informal female entrepreneurs. Given how corruption disproportionately affects women in Africa, Doris is an Anti-Corruption Compliance trainer, focusing on supporting micro, small and medium enterprises - which are often the supply side of corruption – to build effective business ethics and integrity infrastructure. She is also a Trustee of Agape Girl’s Empowerment Trust in Zimbabwe and Founding Editor of Ethics 360 Magazine.
Volunteers
Simone Vesavevala, Communications Coordinator
Simone Vesavevala grew up in Mumbai, India and moved to Canada for her post-secondary education in 2017. She pursued an Economics & Business degree from the Ivey Business School at Western University. She is currently working as a Marketing Manager at PepsiCo Canada.
Her passion for gender equity and women’s social rights advocacy led her to pursue a role at Grace and Nelly. Simone is a strong believer that advancing Womens’ rights is key to economic progress and development. She is excited about continuing her journey with G&N to help drive change within rural communities in Zimbabwe.
Sezvo-ndinemwi M'pfunya, Marketing Co-ordinator/Graphic Designer
Sezvo grew up in Zimbabwe and moved to Canada for her post secondary education in 2018. She is in her final year of a Bachelor of Arts: Major in Art and Design, Minor in Computing science and Minor in East Asian Studies. Sezvo has always looked for opportunities to support women's rights in every aspect and seeing the need for better advocating of those rights within Zimbabwe is what inspired her to volunteer for The Grace and Nelly Project.
She is determined, hardworking and strives to use her Art and Design skills to bring to G&Ns ideas to life.
Moses Munyaradzi Liston, Project Coordinator (Zimbabwe)
I am volunteering with G&N because I am passionate to help a greater number of women including the less privileged to access safer periods and also to see to it that reusable pads are introduced to those that have little or limited knowledge about them.